Today's Weather
High 4
650 F -^
Precip: 10% z
Some sun in the morning with
increasing clouds during the
afternoon. High near 65F
Winds light and variable.
For up to the minute weather go to
www.nflaonline.com.

I 139THYEAR, UMBER THURSAYJANARY4,OS2

Web site monitors water

supply in wake of PCS spill

By Stephenie Livingston
stephenie.livingston@gaflnews.com
The state Department of
Environmental Protection has
created a new Web site to
provide up-to-date information
on its ongoing sampling and
monitoring of the local water
supply after 84 million gallons
of contaminated water was

released in a spill at PCS in
White Springs.
This comes after discovery of
a sinkhole inside a
phosphogypsum stack system at
PCS's Swift Creek Chemical
Complex on Dec. 10. The Swift
Creek Chemical Complex is
located just east of US 41, about
10 miles northwest of White
Springs. The stack system stores

process wastewater and
gypsum resulting from PCS'
phosphate fertilizer
manufacturing operations at
this site, according to a DEP
press release.
"Based on site inspections and
ongoing collection of
monitoring data, it appears that
SEE WEB SITE, PAGE 2A

BULLETIN

Jasper native

killed in crash
By Stephenie Livingston
stephenie.livingston@gaflnews.com
A long-time Jasper resident was killed in a
motorcycle accident this morning in Lake City.
John Russel Fry, 47, was eastbound on SW Baya
Drive on his 2006 Harley-Davidson at 6:55 a.m.
when a westbound Jeep SUV driven by
Christopher Robert Davis, 38, attempted a left
turn onto McFarlane Avenue and entered the
path of Fry's motorcycle, according to a Florida
SEE JASPER, PAGE 2A

Wintry streak is

worst in years

By Stephenie Livingston
stephenie.livingston@gaflnews.com
A week and a half of frigid weather, with 4
temperatures often falling into the teens, is
beginning to take its toll on local residents, crops
and livestock.
Freeze warnings have been issued nearly every
night since New Year's weekend, but the worst may
soon be behind us. The National Weather Service
says tonight's night's low will be 37, followed by 49
Friday.
The warmer weather could be accompanied by
rain, which often means a drop in the mercury.
However, Florida State University climatologist
David Zierden said the consensus among his
colleagues is that warmer temperatures will return
next week.
"The cold snap is the result of a series of cold
fronts that have brought arctic air masses," Zierden
SEE WINTRY STREAK, PAGE 2A
TOP: Icy temperatures have persisted for 11 straight days
throughout the Suwannee River Valley, as this photo taken
in Jennings shows. Photo: Beverly DeVille
RIGHT: The scene outside another Suwannee Valley
residence. Photo: Jamie McCall

Energy
SVEC supplier's
$500 million
request rebuffed
By Jeff Waters
jeff.waters
@gaflnews.com
Progress Energy
Florida was
denied a $500
million rate
increase request
Monday by the
Florida Public
Service
Commission.
The rate
increase is for the
base cost of
electricity, which
will keep
customer bills
about the same
this year.
However, if fuel
costs increase as
expected,
customers could
see higher bills in
2011.
The commission
also reduced how
much profit PEF
can make by
slashing its return
on equity from the
requested 12.54
percent to 10.50
percent.
PEF serves
about 4.5 million
customers in
Florida and
provides
electricity to
Suwannee Valley
Electric
Cooperative.
The commission
is slated to make a
decision today on
whether to allow
Florida Power &
Light Company to
raise rates. FPL is
requesting about
$1.2 billion in rate
increases.
The decision
had been delayed
since October,
after new
appointments to
the PSC.

The Florida
Municipal Insurance
Trust recently
presented Hamilton

6 97113 07541 6

County with a return of
premium for $15,965.
The refund is a result of
prudent business
practices and
conservative financial
management by the
Trust and part of a total
statewide $8 million
refund to its members.
SEE COUNTY, PAGE 2A

r-----L----
--I

Publix /
.I I

For Kids 12 & Under I
No Purchase Necessary
Must Present Coupon A
Limit 1 Per Person R
L -

supply in wake of PCS spill Continued From Page 1A two weeks. In Jan
1985, a severe free

Continued From Page 1A

PCS's production wells are
containing the process water on
site and not contaminating the
aquifer offsite or nearby potable
drinking water wells," according
to a DEP press release. "In an
abundance of caution DEP has
continued its monitoring of the
process wells, local private wells
and the waters of the Suwannee
River."
The gypsum stack in which the
sinkhole formed is about 140 to
150 feet above ground level,
according to DEP spokeswoman
Dee Ann Miller. The sinkhole
was about 40 to 50 feet in
diameter with a depth of at least
100 feet below surface level, said
Miller. The deepest production
wells are 750-800 feet deep.
"Aerial surveys and
exploratory drilling are being

conducted to gather information
about the depth and geometry of
the subsurface opening which
will allow more precise
measurement and guidance in
grouting the sinkhole," Miller
said.
Furthermore, Miller said no
processed water was released
before PCS was able to turn on its
wells.
"PCS already had wells in
operation at the time of the
formation, additional wells were
put into operation within the
hour to make sure they were
doing everything they could do
to capture the release," said
Miller.
Miller confirmed that some
broken chunks of gypsum did
fall into the sinkhole. Miller also
said there is not a synthetic liner
beneath the gypsum stack, but
rather a natural clay barrier

CALL CRIME STOPPERS,
YOU MAY BE ELIGIBLE FOR A REWARD!
Do not attempt to apprehend, contact your local law enforcement agency
If your information leads to an arrest you
i 1M 0 may be eligible for a cash reward of up to

HAMILTON COUNTY, INC.

$1,000. You do not have to testify in court
and you will remain anonymous.

below the stack area.
Concerned citizens can now
view the new Web page, which
provides up-to-date information
on DEP's ongoing sampling and
monitoring:
http://www.dep.state.fl.us/se
cretary/pcs_sinkhole.htm
"This new webpage allows us
to make the information about
these efforts readily available to
the public," said Deputy
Secretary for Regulatory
Programs, Mimi Drew in a press
release. "We want the public to
have real-time information and
data about our efforts."
Residents are encouraged to
contact DEP directly with
questions and concerns at 850-
488-8217. Citizens who may be
concerned about their drinking
water supply can contact the
Hamilton County Health
Department at 386-792-1414.

told the Jasper News.
"There has been a
pattern of persistent
troughing since the first
of January."
Zierden said the front
that brings the rain may
break up that pattern.
The current cold snap
is the longest since 1989
when freezing
temperatures lasted for

Continued From Page 1A

"These financial
returns show what our
customers already
know; that there are
clear benefits of dealing
with a provider that

stands on firm financial
footing," said Michael
Madden, managing
director of the FMIT.
"Because the Trust is
administered by a
nonprofit organization,
it offers benefits like this
refund and provides its
members with
unparalleled financial
security, peace of mind
and value."

Jasper

native

killed in

crash
Continued From Page 1A

Highway Patrol press
release.
Fry swerved right to
avoid the collision but
Davis' jeep struck the
front left of Fry's
motorcycle, said FHP.
After the impact,
Davis, a Lake City
resident, struck a raised
concrete curb. Fry, also
of Lake City, was
ejected from his
motorcycle onto the
grassy shoulder of the
roadway, reports show.
"He was quite an
individual," Benji Fry of
Hamilton County said
of his brother
Wednesday. "He just
liked riding his
motorcycle."
Fry and Benji worked
for Corbett's Mobile
Homes in Lake City.
Benji said his brother
was on his way to work
when the accident
occurred.
An investigation into
the crash is pending,
said FHP.

Empowering
Tabernacle
House of
Prayer
sowing a
good seed
for the
holidays
Page 8A

uary
ze in

northern and central
Florida resulted in
about $1.2 billion in
damage to the citrus
industry, according to
the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric
Administration's
National
Environmental,
Satellite, Data, and
Information Service.

County gets $15,965

refund from insurer

'In the days of Robin Hood'

*. -^ p -. A

Focus, Page 3

PAGE 2A

THURSDAY, JANUARY 14, 2010

THURSDAY, JANUARY 14, 2010

Three Rivers Legal
Services will offer FREE
civil legal services to

Norris w

Notes U
By Lillian Norris
Norris Notes will
not be running dur-
ing the next few
weeks. Mrs. Lillian
Norris will be back as
soon as possible with
her column. Thank
you.

WH TE SP
he world came lif
to White
Springs again mometer bar t above freezing that day. Joe was
last week. On Sunday on the first leg of a ross country cycling trip and
white Springs celebrated said that the folks s ed with in Valdosta told
tephen Foster day and, him he should come to WHite Springs, that it was a
the museum in the "great little town". Fairly amazed at the concert he
;plrk, we listened to had stumbled across, he said he couldn't wait to tell
.ftpera and Stephen Fos- others about our town. Dennis and Dottie Price host-
Am songs performed by ed him that cold evening since camping out in a tent
'-Jenna Siladie of St Pe- would have been way too cold. At his young age, Joe
herry of Deland FL. Jenna is already a seasoned world traveler and he said that
s "Jeanie" and "Stephen". White Springs is one of the best places he's been.
titles by competing in the He'll be back in February as he and several other rid-
iie Auditions," a statewide ers set out for San Diego. He wants them to see our
)red by the Florida Federa- town before they head out to see the rest of the coun-
h happens here at Stephen try. What a compliment! Thanks Joe.
er. Dressed in period cos- They say that 7',:.. of conversations start out about
wonderful moment of music the weather. Last week I'm sure it was 111 r. It sure
rings that rivaled anything has been cold! Lots of busted pipes and stories to tell
:he opera houses of our big about them. A very rare sight was experienced by a
was Aisha Ivey who has very few hardy adventurers in White Springs. There
)ttish Fiddle champion four were thousands of icicles all along the Suwannee
nd Mary Lee Sweet closed River where the water drips off the limestone ledges.
with a selection of Stephen If it keeps up much longer we may have Suwannee
neteenth century dress and icebergs! It was so cold . our dogs, Haggis and
ie banjo made it easy for us Rarebit, had to put jumper cables on the squirrels -
as they were performed in just to get them running!
ful reception followed the Don't forget about the White Springs Folk Club
the reception committee, performance this Saturday at 7:00 PM at the Telford
1 Maynard, Maddie Moore, Hotel. The sound is clear, the room is silent, no cap-
tob, Mary Lou Bullard and puccino machine, and no loud people. A real listen-
hard work. ing venue in a beautiful historic building in down-
the world, Joe Oliver came town White Springs, FL.
ay too. A young man of That's about it for this week. I'd love to hear any
is dressed in cyclist's garb, news that you want to share and I hope to see you
essed me because the ther- out and about, enjoying life in White Springs.

An Invitation

//
S//

,

Deacon
Tyron L.
White
Photo submitted
Deacon Tyron L. White will be preaching his
trial sermon on Sunday, January 24, 2010 at 4
p.m. This great occasion will take place at Deep
Creek Missionary Baptist Church, 2595 NW
Cansa Road, Lake City.
We would like for you to come and help us en-
joy this wonderful gift from God-preaching the
gospel according to the Power of God.
Reverend Dr. Ervin Donaldson, Sr., Pastor

Healthy Start

board meeting

Healthy Start of North Central Florida Board
Meeting
Thursday, January 21, 2010 at 2:00 PM
WellFlorida Council Conference Room,
Gainesville, FL
The public is invited. Please call Celia Paynter
at 352-313-6500, ext. 118 if you need more infor-
mation.

tersburg, FL and Ryne C
and Ryne are this year's
They have earned these
"Stephen Foster and Jean
vocal competition sponsor
tion of Music Clubs which
Foster park every Octob
tumes they brought a we
and history to White Spr
you might experience in t
cities. Also performing
been the Southeast US Sco
years in a row. Frank ai
out the afternoon concert
Foster songs and their nil
Frank's style of playing th
to imagine Fosters songs
his lifetime. A wonder
performance. Thanks to
Dottie Price, Lucinda Gai
Merri McKenzie, Carol St
Khrys Kantarze for their ]
Along with the rest of 1
to White Springs that dE
twenty one years, Joe wa
which immediately imprc

I am intrigued by tra-
ditions...and the histo-
ries behind them. By
definition a tradition is
"an inherited, estab-
lished or customary pat-
tern of thought, action
or behavior; the hand-
ing down of informa-
tion, beliefs and cus-
toms by word of mouth
or by example from one
generation to another
without written instruc-
tions." Some traditions
that are familiar are
blowing out candles on
your birthday, eating
turkey on Thanksgiving,
and receiving a watch at
retirement. Some are
cultural...like cutting off
a guy's shirttail for
shooting, but missing a
deer (it's a shame
thing). Even better are
those that are exclusive
to individual fami-
lies...at our house I
change the linens on our
beds the day we leave
for a vacation so that
our first night back in
our own beds is an extra
wonderful thing! My
family loves and appre-
ciates this!
Because traditions
usually aren't written
down, their histories of-
ten get lost. We may
continue to do them,
without knowing why.
For example, I have
blown out candles on
my cake every time I
celebrate my 29th birth-
day, and have no idea
why that is so impor-
tant...what I do know is
that lately it seems to
take a lot more air!
I was delighted re-
cently to stumble across
an explanation in the
Bible for a tradition that
we still partially keep in
our culture. In 1
Corinthians 11, the
Apostle Paul discusses
the origin of the custom
during his day of
women wearing a head
covering during wor-
ship, while men took
their hats off. This cus-
tom began as a way to
show the line of authori-
ty (not a line of superi-
ority) in the home, as
designated by God.
The Message Bible
translates verses 3 and 9
like this: "In a mar-
riage relationship, there
is authority from Christ
to husband, and from

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husband to wife...by
these symbolic acts (of
covering and uncover-
ing the head) men and
women, who far too of-
ten butt heads with each
other, submit their
"heads" to the Head:
God." So when a man
takes his hat off, he is
symbolically submitting
his authority to God as
his head. In the same
way, a woman would
cover her head, to show
her submission to her
husband's authority un-
der Christ.
Before all you men
hound your wives...
about wearing their
head-coverings to
church, what in the
world do you think that
half-inch of hairspray is
for?! All joking aside,
understanding that this
was a custom during
Paul's day keeps us free
from a legalistic ap-
proach that would
"force" women to wear
head covering and men
to remove theirs, but I
love the history of this.
My husband is a hat-
wearer, whose Mama
taught him that it was
the respectful thing to
do to remove his hat in
a building, at the dinner
table or when a prayer
is offered. As his wife,
the passage in 1
Corinthians is priceless
to me...because nothing
brings me more security
or a willingness to sub-
mit to his authority as
the leader in our home,
than to know that he
will turn around and
submit that authority to
Christ. So to all you
husbands and dads who
are willing to be the
leaders in your family,
and submit to
Christ...hats off to you!

Because Every Heart
Matters,
Angie
Heart Matters is a week-
ly column written by Ang-
ie Land, Director of the
Family Life Ministries of
the Lafayette Baptist Asso-
ciation, where she teaches
bible studies, leads mar-
riage and family confer-
ences and offers biblical
counseling to individuals,
couples and families.
Contact Angie with ques-
tions or comments at ang-
ieland3@windstream.net

Hamilton County
Office Hours
Come Visit With
A Representative of
U.S. Senator Bill
Nelson

This event is open to all
residents, including those
with a Federal Issue to
discuss.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
1:00 2:00 p.m.
Conference Room
City Hall
10363 Bridge Street
White Springs
For More Information,
Please Call 850-942-8415

By Jim Holmes
It is late at night and
you are driving on one of
our local roads when
you spot a toddler walk-
ing alone on the high-
way. What would you
do? I think the over-
whelming majority of us
would stop our car or
pickup, jump out and
care for the child until we
knew he or she was in
safe hands. If that would
be your inclination, then
you have the opportuni-
ty this month to step for-
ward and help such kids.
No, they are not wan-
dering along some high-
way in the middle of the
night, but their odyssey

570879-F

is no less dangerous or
frightening. You see, the
kids I'm talking about are
youngsters who for one
reason or another are
wards of the state because
their parents are charged
with abuse or neglect. In
the seven counties that
make up the Third Judi-
cial Circuit, these kids can
number in the hundreds.
Their parents have at-
torneys who are legally
bound to fight tooth and
nail for their clients. Like-
wise, the state has a cadre
of skilled lawyers work-
ing for the Florida Depart-
ment of Children and
Families. And the kids are
all assigned caseworkers,
who are under contract to
DCF. But each of those
parties brings to the table
their own agenda ... and
for various reasons, that
agenda doesn't always
know about or place the
interests of the child
FIRST.
That's where your help
is needed. You can be-

come a Guardian ad
Litem volunteer and in so
doing, ensure that the
needs and wishes of the
children you represent
are presented directly to
the judge handling their
case.
My wife and I have
been Guardian ad Litem
volunteers for the better
part of a decade and often
we have people say to us,
"I just don't know how
you can do it!" Our an-
swer is simple. "Someone
has to try to help these
kids. If not us, then who?"
I won't lie to you. Being
a Guardian can be frus-
trating, but then worth-
while endeavors are sel-
dom easy. Sometimes
you encounter parents in-
capable of raising a child
due to psychological is-
sues. Others have person-
al demons to overcome
themselves -- like drug
abuse, alcoholism or their
own history of being
abused or neglected -- be-
fore they can again be en-

trusted to care for their
kids.
Then there is the system
itself, filled with time-con-
suming legal complexi-
ties. And all too often it is
overburdened and under-
funded, resulting in a con-
stant change of staff, par-
ticularly among those
caseworkers directly re-
sponsible for knowing
and meeting a young-
ster's needs. It's not un-
common to see a child
have several different
caseworkers in the
months -- and sometimes
years -- it takes to either
reunite a kid with his or
her parents or to try to
find the youngster a new
family.
But these problems
SHOULD NOT BE THE
CHILDREN'S BURDEN
... and your job as a
Guardian ad Litem vol-
unteer will be to insure
that they are not. I call it
being the court's "squeaky
wheel," for I speak up
whenever I believe the
needs or desires of a child
are being overlooked or
neglected due to bureau-
cratic red tape, staff over-
load, budget restraints, le-
gal-maneuvering and, at
times, incompetence.
Guardian ad Litem vol-
unteer training sessions
are now being scheduled
for later this month
throughout the Third Ju-
dicial Circuit. They are
free. You can get more in-
formation by calling the
Guardian office in Live
Oak at 386-364-7720, ex-
tension 103.
Please, give it serious
thought. It is the most
worthwhile job for which
you will never be paid.
Jim Holmes lives in
Live Oak.

Letter to the Editor and Article Policy
Letters to the Editor and news articles can be mailed,
FAXed or dropped off at the news office located in the
Bank of America Building, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.
till 5 p.m.
Letters to the Editor should be typed, double-spaced if
possible, brief and to the point, approximately 150 to 200
words or less. Not all letters are published. To be consid-
ered for publication Letters to the Editor must be signed,
include the writer's address and phone number, and in
the Jasper News' office on Friday before 5 p.m.
News Releases, 400 or less words, should be typed, dou-
ble-spaced if possible, brief and to the point. Not all articles
are published.
Letters and articles may be edited to fit available space.
Well written letters/articles require less editing.
To mail your letter/article, send it to: The Jasper News,
105 NE 2nd Ave., Jasper, FL 32052 or FAX it to: 792-3009.

AGENDA
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS,
HAMILTON COUNTY, FLORIDA
Room 112 Courthouse 207 Northeast First Street
Jasper, Florida
MEETING DATE: JANUARY 19, 2010
THE AGENDA ITEMS LISTED BY NUMBER WILL BE TAKEN IN ORDER FROM THE BEGINNING
OF THE MEETING REGARDLESS OF TIME. HOWEVER, THE TIME CERTAIN ITEMS LISTED
WITH SPECIFIC TIMES WILL COMMENCE AT THE SPECIFIED TIME.
LISTED ITEMS
1. COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC UNAGENDAED APPEARANCES (*)
2. CONSENT AGENDA APPROVAL
3. REPORT ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS AND REQUESTS
4. 2008-09 CDBG GRANT PROGRAM
5. APPROVE BILLS
6. CORRESPONDENCE AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
7. ADJOURN
TIME CERTAIN ITEMS
6:00 P.M. CALL TO ORDER INVOCATION PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG
6:05 P.M. COUNTY ROAD PROJECTS STATUS REPORT
DUE TO PUBLICATION DEADLINE, THIS AGENDA MAY NOT CONTAIN ALL MATTERS BEFORE
THE BOARD ON TUESDAY, JANUARY 19, 2010. A COMPLETE COPY OF THE AGENDA MAY BE
OBTAINED AFTER 1:00 P.M. ON WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2010 FROM THE OFFICE OF THE
CLERK OF CIRCUIT COURT, COURTHOUSE, JASPER, FLORIDA.
Persons appearing before the Board are requested, if possible, to submit in writing the subject matter of their
appearance before the Board not later than Tuesday prior to the Board Meeting the following Tuesday.
(*) NOTICE: Persons appearing before the Hamilton County Board of County Commissioners, not having
given notice in time to be included and shown on the Agenda, and desiring to make a presentation, will be
limited to five (5) minutes, in the interest of meeting time. The Board of County Commissioners will hear
and listen to persons appearing whose subject has not been shown on the agenda; however, action by the
Board on any such matter can only be taken upon determination of an emergency situation. Any identifiable
group of three (3) persons or more shall be limited to a total of ten (10) minutes per topic.
In accordance with Section 286.0105, Florida Statutes, notice is given that if any person decides to appeal
any decision made by the Board, agency or commission, with respect to proceedings and that, for such
purpose, he/she will need to ensure that a verbatim record of the proceedings is made, which record includes
testimony and evidence upon which the appeal is based.
NOTIFICATION: IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT, PERSONS
WITH DISABILITIES NEEDING A SPECIAL ACCOMMODATION FOR ATTENDANCE AT THIS
MEETING SHOULD CONTACT THE CLERK OF CIRCUIT COURT, ROOM 106, 207 NORTHEAST
FIRST STREET, JASPER, FLORIDA, TELEPHONE (386) 792-1288, NOT LATER THAN 72 HOURS
PRIOR TO THE PROCEEDINGS. IF HEARING IMPAIRED, TDD (386) 792-0857.
NEXT REGULAR MEETING OF THE BOARD: FEBRUARY 2, 2010 AT 9:00 A.M.
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
HAMILTON COUNTY. FLORIDA
CONSENT AGENDA
JANUARY 19, 2009
1) MINUTES -APPROVE: January 5, 2010 Regular Meeting
2) DEPARTMENT HEADS INFORMATION ITEMS:
A) EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICE:
1) Operations Report December 2009 file
3) DEPARTMENT HEADS -ACTION ITEMS:
4) APPROVE AND EXECUTE SATISFACTION OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT
(CDBG) HOUSING REHABILITATION PROGRAM DEFERRED PAYMENT LOAN AGREEMENT
FOR MICHAEL AND ELIZABETH LUCAS DUE TO EXPIRATION OF THE THREE YEAR
OCCUPATION REQUIREMENT.
5) APPROVE PAYMENT OF THE FOLLOWING INVOICE FROM BAILEY BISHOP & LANE:
Invoice No. 13857 CR 152 $2,005.67
6) APPROVE PAYMENT OF THE FOLLOWING INVOICE FROM CALDWELL TANKS INC AT THE
RECOMMENDATION OF BAILEY BISHOP & LANE:

A) Pay Request No. 5 SR6/I-75 Water System Project $92,322.00

CITY OF JASPER, FLORIDA

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
The City of Jasper, FL. is accepting proposals for
Group Health Insurance. An original sealed proposal
marked 'SEALED PROPOSAL FOR GROUP HEALTH
INSURANCE" must be received by 2:00 P.M.
Thursday, January 28, 2010 at the City of Jasper City Hall,
208 W. Hatley St., Jasper, FL. 32052
Attn: Jennifer Pomeroy, City Clerk. For details call
(386) 792-2320. Evaluation and selection will occur in
accordance with the City's requirements at a time and place
to be determined by the City. The City of Jasper reserves the
right to reject any or all proposals, and to waive any
informalities or irregularities in the process and to award the
contract in the best interest of the City. 570627-F
570627-F

- --. I

PAGE 4A

THURSDAY, JANUARY 14, 2010

THURDAY JANARY14, 010THEJASPR NWS, aspr, F PAE I

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In Loving Memory of

Patricia Ann

Westberry

Your Smile

Though your smile
is gone forever,
and your hand I
cannot touch, I still have
many memories of the
one I loved so much.
Your memory is my
keepsake, with which
I'll never part.
God has you in His
keeping, I have you
in my heart.

Sadly missed, but
never forgotten

Your Husband, Family and Friends
We all love and miss you so very much
571818-F

Obituaries

Agnes Pearl
Southerland Doby

L. C. Wright

Another new

David H. Matier, Doctor of Pastoral
Counseling
All the presents have been
opened, the trash has been picked
up, the decorations have been tak-
en down. The New Years parties
are over and the family and
friends have gone home (or you
have made it safely back to your
home). What now? Another year
is beginning. Another opportuni-
ty to make something of your life;
to work on that dream; to get it all
together.
On the back of a counselor's of-
fice door once hung a picture
frame with a quote that said, "The
saddest words in the English lan-
guage: 'I wish I had done it dif-
ferently.'" He would tell his
clients to use that as a spring-
board to think about how they
would act next time the situation
presented itself rather than an oc-
casion to sit and sulk about the
matter. And you have had some
failure in the past year. Maybe
you have failed God and said to
yourself, "Why go on. He just
couldn't love me anymore!" So
you haven't been back to church.
Your wife has to get up and take
the children by herself while your
son asks her, "Why do I have to
go, Daddy doesn't go?" So you've
just quit serving Him. You've quit
leading your family in devotions
because you don't feel like you've
been the man of the house the
example to your children that you

year is beginning

should have been or once were.
Guess what? God, in His love for
you, has made provision for your
imperfections: "If we confess our
sins, he is faithful and just to for-
give us our sins, and to cleanse us
from all unrighteousness," (I John
1:9). The Bible tells you in black
and white He will forgive any sin
you committed against Him when
you confess it not only the sins
you know you've committed but
even the ones you weren't aware
of "...and to cleanse you from all
unrighteousness." That is God's
grace and mercy at work He for-
gives you of that you confess and
goes a step farther. ISN'T THAT
JUST LIKE GOD?
Now who was the Apostle John
writing to in I John? He was writ-
ing to Christians and this is made
clear in I John 5:13, "These things
have I written unto you that be-
lieve on the name of the Son of
God; that ye may know that ye
have eternal life, and that ye may
believe on the name of the Son of
God." If you are a Christian today
it is because you have believed on
the Lord Jesus Christ. And if you
have you can say, based on the
Word of God, "I know I have eter-
nal life." But it is not because
you are good; not because you
have earned eternal life in some
way but it is because Jesus Christ
purchased your salvation with
His blood on the cross.
Notice verses 8 and 10 of chap-

ter 1. Verse 8 reads, "If we say
that we have no sin we deceive
ourselves, and the truth is not in
us," (I John 1:8). Here it is talking
about man's old sin nature that
you were born with that some-
thing within you that you have to
fight all the time in order to keep
from doing the things that you
know would be displeasing to
God and could eventually lead to
your ruin. This you inherited
from Adam. This is why you
don't have to teach a baby to say,
"No." It just comes naturally.
And then in verse 10 you'll no-
tice that you not only have a
propensity to sin but you've actu-
ally sinned. "If we say that we
have not sinned, we make him a
liar, and his word is not in us," (I
John 1:10). Every Christian sins
and to say otherwise is to make
God a liar and show ignorance of
His Word. This just simply mag-
nifies the importance of being in
touch with God through His
Word and church attendance.
Every Christian man needs to set
some personal goals as far as
reading the Bible and prayer. Be a
hero your son can look up to and
by being faithful to God hopefully
next year at this time there will be
less incidents in your life for
which you'll have to say, "I wish I
had done it differently."

David H. Matier, DPC
dmatier@windstream. net

Agnes Pearl Souther-
land Doby, age 89, of
Southport, North Caroli-
na passed away
Wednesday, January 6,
2010 at Suwannee Valley
Nursing Center in
Jasper, Florida. Mrs.
Doby was born in Wilm-
ington, North Carolina
to the late William and
Pearl Baldwin Souther-
land. She was a retired
kindergarten teacher.
Mrs. Doby was preceded
in death by a son,
Richard David Peters.
Survivors include two
daughters, Deloris
Roberts (Joseph), Jasper,
FL. and Diane Tolfree
(Ronald) of Michigan;
four grandchildren,
Thomas Roberts, David
Tolfree, Louis Tolfree
and Ann Peters; five
great-grandchildren,
Spenser Roberts, Hunter
Levan, Sarah Tolfree,
Christopher Tolfree and
Louis Kramm.
Services were held in
Southport, North Caroli-
na. Memorial contribu-
tions may be made to
Southport, North Caroli-
na Congregation of Jeho-
vah's Witnesses, 960
Southport-Supply Road,
Bolivia, N.C. 28422.
Harry T. Reid Funer-
al Home, Jasper, FL. was
in charge of local
arrangements.

L. C. ("Man" or "Tal-
la") Wright, age 78, of St.
Petersbury, Florida
passed away Tuesday,
January 5, 2010 at
Bayfront Medical Center
in St. Petersburg follow-
ing an extended illness.
L. C. was born in Bel-
Iville, Florida to the late
Freddie and Eula
Wright. He was a former
resident of Hamilton
County.
L. C. moved to Miami,
Florida and worked in
the construction field
until he retired due to ill-
ness. Then he moved
back to St. Petersburg.
L. C. was preceded in
death by his brother, M.
C. (Chunk) Wright. Sur-
vivors include five chil-
dren, Freddie Wright,
Carolyn Wright, Dennis
Wright, Ronald Wright,
and Runette Wright; one
loving sister, Rosa Hill
of St. Petersburg; five
grandchildren, nieces,
nephews, cousins, in-
laws and sorrowing
friends.
Funeral services will
be held Saturday, Janu-
ary 16, at Bethel A.M.E.
Church in Bellville. In-
terment will follow in
the church cemetery.
Bennie Thomas Funer-
al Home, Live Oak, is in
charge of all arrange-
ments.

Greek Mythology in 99
Minutes or Less." The
hilarious comedy, writ-
ten by Jay Hopkins
and John Hunter,
quickly spins all the
tales of Greek Mythol-
ogy; love stories are
turned into a dating
show, the Greek
Tragedies are sports
highlights and the re-
sults are hysterical.

Several male and fe-
male roles are avail-
able for individuals
ages 15 and older.
Open auditions will be
held on Monday, Jan.
25 at 7 p.m. at the Van
H. Priest Auditorium
located on the NFCC
campus in Madison,
Fla. No advance prepa-
rations are necessary,
just show up ready to
audition. Rehearsals
for the play will begin
Feb. 1 and will be held
each Monday and
Wednesday until show

time. Show dates are
April 22-24, 2010. For
those not seeking a
spot on the stage, there
will also be opportuni-
ties to help backstage.
For more information
contact play director
Denise Bell at (850)
973-9481 or email
belld@nfcc.edu. More
information about the
NFCC Sentinel Up-
stage Players is also
available at
www.nfcc.edu (key-
word: Community
Theater).

Jasper Legals
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE
3RD JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, IN AND FOR
HAMILTON COUNTY, FLORIDA
GENERAL JURISDICTION DIVISION
CASE NO: 24-2009-CA-000485
GMAC MORTGAGE, LLC,
PLAINTIFF,
VS.
GARY R. MCCOY, ET AL.,
DEFENDANTSS.
NOTICE OF ACTION
CONSTRUCTIVE SERVICE
TO: GARY R. MCCOY AND UNKNOWN
SPOUSE OF GARY R. MCCOY
Whose residence is unknown if
he/she/they be living; and if he/she/they
be dead, the unknown defendants who
may be spouses, heirs, devisees,
grantees, assignees, Ilenors, creditors,
trustees, and all parties claiming an inter-
est by, through, under or against the De-
fendants, who are not known to be dead
or alive, and all parties having or claiming
to have any right, title or interest in the
property described in the mortgage being
foreclosed herein.
YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED that an
action to foreclose a mortgage on the fol-
lowing property:
PARCEL ONE
A PARCEL OF LAND SITUATE IN THE
EAST 1/2 OF THE SOUTHEAST 1/4 OF
SECTION 8, TOWNSHIP 1 SOUTH,
RANGE 14 EAST, HAMILTON COUNTY,
FLORIDA, BEING MORE PARTICULAR-
LY DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS:
COMMENCE AT A CONCRETE MONU-
MENT MARKING THE NORTHWEST
CORNER OF THE EAST 1/2 AND RUN
THENCE NORTH 8846'39" EAST,
82.75 FEET TO A CONCRETE MONU-
MENT; THENCE CONTINUE NORTH
88046'39" EAST, A DISTANCE OF 200
FEET TO AN IRON PIN, THENCE
00 19'33" WEST, 471.00 FEET TO AN
IRON PIN FOR THE POINT OF BEGIN-
NING, FROM SAID POINT OF BEGIN-
NING CONTINUE SOUTH 00019'33"
WEST, A DISTANCE OF 330.30 FEET
TO AN IRON PIN, THENCE NORTH
8940'27" WEST, 179.99 FEET TO AN
IRON PIN ON A CURVE ON THE EAST-
ERLY RIGHT OF WAY BOUNDARY OF
STATE ROAD NO. 51, SAID RIGHT OF
WAY CURVE HAVING A RADIUS OF
17,250.45 FEET; THENCE NORTH
00'50'20" WEST, ALONG THE CHORD
OF SAID CURVE, A DISTANCE OF
228.33 FEET; THENCE NORTH
01-13'05" WEST (BEARING BASE)
ALONG SAID RIGHT OF WAY, A DIS-

TANCE OF 102.12 FEET TO AN IRON
PIN; THENCE SOUTH 8940'27" EAST,
A DISTANCE OF 187.50 FEET TO THE
POINT OF BEGINNING.
SUBJECT TO AN EASEMENT FOR
INGRESS AND EGRESS 15 FEET
ACROSS THE NORTHERLY BOUND-
ARY
PARCEL TWO
A PARCEL OF LAND SITUATE ON THE
EAST 1/2 OF THE SOUTHEAST 1/4 OF
SECTION 8, TOWNSHIP 1 SOUTH,
RANGE 14 EAST, HAMILTON COUNTY,
FLORIDA, BEING MORE PARTICULAR-
LY DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS:
COMMENCE AT A CONCRETE MONU-
MENT MARKING THE NORTHWEST
CORNER OF THE SAID EAST 1/2 AND
RUN THENCE NORTH 8846'39" EAST,
82.75 FEET TO A CONCRETE MONU-
MENT; THENCE CONTINUE NORTH
88'46'39" EAST A DISTANCE OF 200
FEET TO AN IRON PIN; THENCE
SOUTH 0019'33" WEST, A DISTANCE
OF 801.3 FEET TO AN IRON PIN FOR
THE POINT OF BEGINNING; FROM
SAID POINT OF BEGINNING CONTIN-
UE SOUTH 00 19'33" WEST, A DIS-
TANCE OF 200 FEET TO AN IRON PIN;
THENCE NORTH 8940'27" WEST, A
DISTANCE OF 178.41 FEET TO AN
IRON PIN ON A CURVE OF THE EAST-
ERLY RIGHT OF WAY OF STATE ROAD
NO. 51, SAID RIGHT OF WAY CURVE
HAVING A RADIUS OF 17,250.45 FEET;
THENCE RUN NORTH 0007'39"WEST,
ALONG THE CHORD OF SAID CURVE,
A DISTANCE OF 200.00 FEET TO AN
IRON PIN; THENCE RUN SOUTH
8940'27" EAST, A DISTANCE OF
179.99 FEET TO THE POINT OF BEGIN-
NING.
PARCEL THREE
A PARCEL OF LAND SITUATE IN THE
EAST 1/2 OF THE SOUTHEAST 1/4 OF
SECTION 8, TOWNSHIP 1 SOUTH,
RANGE 14 EAST, HAMILTON COUNTY,
FLORIDA, BEING MORE PARTICULAR-
LY DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS:
COMMENCE AT A CONCRETE MONU-
MENT MARKING THE NORTHWEST
CORNER OF THE SAID EAST 1/2, AND
RUN THENCE NORTH 8846'39" EAST,
A DISTANCE OF 82.75 FEET TO A
CONCRETE MONUMENT; THENCE
CONTINUE NORTH 8846'39" EAST, A
DISTANCE OF 200.00 FEET TO AN
IRON PIN; THENCE RUN SOUTH
0019'33" EAST, A DISTANCE OF
601.30 FEET TO AN IRON PIN FOR THE
POINT OF BEGINNING; FROM SAID
POINT OF BEGINNING, CONTINUE
SOUTH 0019'33" WEST, A DISTANCE
OF 200.00 FEET TO AN IRON PIN;
THENCE RUN SOUTH 8940'27" EAST,
A DISTANCE OF 1043.55 FEET, MORE
OR LESS, TO THE EASTERN BOUND-
ARY OF SECTION 8, TOWNSHIP 1
SOUTH, RANGE 14 EAST, THENCE
RUN NORTH, ALONG SAID SECTION

LINE 200 FEET, THENCE NORTH
8940'27" WEST, A DISTANCE OF
1042.52 FEET, MORE OR LESS, TO THE
POINT OF BEGINNING.
SUBJECT TO AN EASEMENT FOR
INGRESS AND EGRESS OVER THE
WEST 30 FEET, THEREOF. TOGETHER
WITH MOBILE HOME VIN NOS.
GA020737 AND GB31M013126
Has been filed against you and you are re-
quired to serve a copy of your written de-
fenses, if any, to it on DAVID J. STERN,
ESQ. Plaintiff's attorney, whose address is
900 South Pine Island Road #400, Plan-
tation, FL 33324-3920 on or before Febru-
ary 6, 2010, (no later than 30 days from
the date of the first publication of this no-
tice of action) and file the original with the
clerk of this court either before service on
Plaintiff's attorney or immediately there-
after; otherwise a default will be entered
against you for the relief demanded in the
complaint or petition filed herein.
WITNESS my hand and the seal of the
Court at HAMILTON County, Florida, this
28th day of December, 2009.
(COURT SEAL)
GREG GODWIN
CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT
BY: /s/Cynthia Johnson
DEPUTY CLERK
LAW OFFICES OF DAVID J. STERN
ATTORNEY FOR PLAINTIFF
900 SOUTH PINE ISLAND ROAD SUITE
400
PLANTATION, FL 33324-3920
09-97379(GMAP)(FHLMC)
IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE AMERI-
CANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT, persons
with disabilities needing a special accom-
modation should contact COURT ADMIN-
ISTRATION, at the HAMILTON County
Courthouse at 386-792-1288, 1-800-955-
8711 (TDD) or 1-800-955-8770, via Flori-
da Relay Service.
01/07, 01/14

Submitted
The Florida Fish and
Wildlife Conservation
Commission (FWC) an-
nounces another Pet
Amnesty Day at the Mia-
mi MetroZoo on Feb. 6
and needs potential
adopters to provide good
homes for pets that are
turned in at the event.
The FWC urges people
who have an exotic pet
they can't care for any-
more to bring it to Pet
Amnesty Day rather than
opening their front door
and letting it loose. It's il-
legal to release a nonna-
tive animal into the wild
in Florida, and it could be
detrimental for the animal
and the environment.
Nonnative Pet Amnesty
Day, hosted in conjunc-
tion with the Miami
MetroZoo, is one of the
FWC's efforts to keep un-
wanted exotic pets out of
Florida's native habitats.
"We are expecting to
get quite a few nonnative
animals that day, so we
need to make sure we
have safe homes for
them," said Jenny Tinnell
of the FWC. "Released
pets are a common path-
way that allows exotic
species into the wild. Of-
ten, pet owners don't un-
derstand the difference

between native and non-
native species, or they
don't realize the possible
effects releasing a nonna-
tive species can have. This
event gives pet owners
who can no longer take
care of their pets, or no
longer wish to keep them,
a legal, ethical option."
Currently, the FWC is
looking for potential
adopters in South Florida
who are experienced pet
owners and are willing to
provide a home for one or
two more animals. All
adopters must fill out the
proper application form
before they receive sur-
rendered animals.
"This isn't a free pet
giveaway," Tinnell said.
"We're looking for
adopters with knowledge
and expertise in caring for
exotic pets; it's not for
people who have always
wanted a pet and think
this is an opportunity to
try their hand at owning
one they don't have to
purchase."
Pet Amnesty Day will
be held Feb. 6 at the Mia-
mi MetroZoo. It's free and
open to the public. Exotic
animals can be surren-
dered to the FWC free of
charge with no questions
asked and no penalties.
"We will not penalize

any pet owners who
choose the responsible op-
tion of not releasing their
nonnative pets into the
wild," Tinnell said. "This
is about curbing our ongo-
ing problem of exotic fish
and wildlife."
A veterinarian will ex-
amine each animal, and
every attempt will be
made to place all healthy
animals with qualified
adopters. Pet Amnesty
Day is also a family event.
There will be live animals
on display, live animal
shows and fun activities.
Experts will be on hand to
talk about proper care of
exotic pets, so people who
are thinking about pur-
chasing one can learn
from credible sources be-
fore they buy. This is a
chance for people to not
only see exotic animals,
but get up close and even
touch them.
Nonnative pet amnesty
events help increase
awareness of nonnative
species problems. More
than 400 nonnative
species have been ob-
served in Florida, and
more than 130 have repro-
ducing populations.
For more information
on nonnative species in
Florida, or to download
an adoption application,
visit MyFWC.com/Non-
n a t i v e s
m/WILDLIFEHABI-
TATS/Nonnative_in-
dex.htm>.
Adopters must have
knowledge of natural his-
tory and caging require-
ments and have proper fa-
cilities for the animals
they are interested in
adopting. There is no fee
for being an adopter.

I I

NOTICE

Hamilton County Class III Landfill

& Recycling Center

CLOSED

Monday

January 18, 2010

In Observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday,
The Landfill/Recycling Center will be open Saturday, January 16, 2010 g

Monthly Happenings:
The Jasper Revitalization Commit-
tee meets the 3rd Thursday of each
month at 6 p.m. in the Jasper City
Hall.
Bible Baptist Church opens their
clothes closet on the 2nd Saturday of
each month from lp.m-3p.m. Call
792-0720 for more information

Thank You

anchez and Michelle Lamb would like
11 the businesses and individuals who
pport the 2009 Central Hamilton Ele-
'TO Toy Drive.
of your generous participation, the
) was able to provide 42 children with
clothingg for Christmas.
e you all had a great Christmas and a
ew Year.

Silviculture BMPs in Florida

By Greg Staten, Hamilton County
Forester
Can I cut cypress timber on my
property? What are Silviculture Best
Management Practices? Why do I
need to follow them on my property?
These are some of the questions I re-
ceive as the Hamilton County Forester
with the Florida Division of Forestry.
Silviculture Best Management Prac-
tices, of BMPs for short, are practices
that are designed to be a set of mini-
mum standards for the protection of
Florida's water supply during forest
management operations during
forestry operations on both public and
private lands. While I still hear these
referred to as voluntary BMPs, they
aren't actually voluntary since failure
to follow them could result in a viola-
tion of the Federal Clean Water Act of
1972.
The Silviculture BMP manual gives
specific guidance for the timber har-
vesting, site preparation, reforestation,
and other management activities that a
forest landowner may carry out on his

or her property. It lists the necessary
Special Management Zone (SMZ)
specifications for an activity near a wa-
terbody such as a lake, stream or even
a sinkhole. While there are too many
variables to list here, the manual cov-
ers all possible scenarios that may be
found in our divers Florida landscape.
I am available to meet with landown-
ers in my office to discuss these situa-
tions or if preferred, I can meet with
the landowners on their property.
The Florida Division of Forestry in
conjunction with the Cooperative Ex-
tension Service will be holding a work-
shop in Jasper on February 9th for for-
est landowners to cover the required
Silviculture BMPs for Florida.
BMPs in Florida have been moni-
tored since 1981 by the Division of
Forestry through a biennial Compli-
ance Survey, and the manual has been
revised several times. Anyone wish-
ing to obtain a current BMP manual or
wishing to find out more information
on BMPs can contact Greg Staten at
386-792-1269.

Silviculture BMP Forestry Workshop

to be held February 9th

By Greg Staten,
Hamilton County Forester
and Allen Tyree,
Agricultural Agent
The Florida Division
of Forestry in coopera-
tion with the Hamilton
County Extension Office
will be having a
Landowner Workshop
"Silvicultural Best Man-
agement Practices
(BMPs) For Forest
Landowners" and "Are
Eucalyptus and Cotton-
wood Trees in North
Florida's Future?" from
10:00 am to 2:15 pm on
February 9, 2009. The
workshop will be held at
the Hamilton County
Extension Office located
at 1143 US Hwy 41 NW,
Jasper, FL 32053.
This workshop is
scheduled to start
promptly at 10:00 am
and last until about 2:15
pm. It is geared toward
educating the private
forest landowner on the
topics of Silvicultural

Best Management Prac-
tices (BMPs) as they re-
late to forest manage-
ment activities. The
workshop will also be
used to discuss the op-
tions for planting tree
species other than pines
for sales to the energy
producing facilities pro-
posed for our area. UF
IFAS tree breeder and
scientist Donald Rock-
wood will cover this top-
ic. If you own forest land
in Florida, this meeting
will provide important
information to you that
will help you manage
your property for forest
products production as
well as wildlife while
protecting and maintain-
ing water quality.
A sponsored meal
will be provided during
the meeting at no cost to
attendees. There is no
charge for attending, but
due to limited seating
pre-registration is re-
quired. To obtain more

information or to pre-
register you may contact
Greg Staten at 386-792-
1269 or Allen Tyree at
386-792-1276 no later
than 4:00 PM on Febru-
ary 5th. We look for-
ward to seeing you
there.

Lordy! Lordy!

Look who's40

W-appk' /irtkdaft

Nicole572436-F

FSU ranked among nation's top

doctorate-granting institutions

Submitted

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. The Florida
State University ranks 44th among
doctorate-granting institutions in
terms of number of research doctor-
ates produced in 2008, according to a
new report released by the National
Science Foundation. The report is
based on the Survey of Earned Doctor-
ates (SED).
Florida State tied with the Universi-
ty of California at Santa Barbara and
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and
State University (Virginia Tech) for the
44th spot. The three institutions each
granted 344 doctoral degrees in 2008.
Florida State has been listed among
the Top 50 doctorate-granting institu-
tions since 2002, said Nancy Marcus,
dean of the Graduate School.
"By graduating more and more stu-
dents with research doctorates, we are
enhancing our impact on these fields,
which ultimately serves to enhance
our reputation," Marcus said. "The
data also demonstrate our strength in
the humanities, education, communi-
cation and social sciences, including
psychology."
The university ranked 15th in educa-
tion and sixth in a category the SED
calls "other", which includes several
disciplines including business, com-

munication and information.
In addition, Florida State ranked
12th in the number of doctorates it
awarded to African-Americans be-
tween 2004 and 2008, an achievement
that is particularly significant when
one considers that recipients of doctor-
ates often become faculty at research
universities as well as leaders in gov-
ernment and industry, Marcus said.
The university awarded 109 doctoral
degrees to African-Americans during
that period.
"It is important that as a nation we
continue to increase the diversity of
the pool of doctoral recipients so that
these future leaders reflect the great
breadth of experiences and perspec-
tives of our population," she said.
"The No. 12 ranking that FSU holds is
evidence of our commitment to this
ideal."
There were 48,802 research doctor-
ates awarded in the United States in
2008, the highest in the nation's histo-
ry of higher education, according to
the SED report.
The SED is conducted annually and
is sponsored by six federal agencies:
the National Science Foundation; Na-
tional Institutes of Health; U.S. Depart-
ment of Education; U.S. Department of
Agriculture; National Endowment for
the Humanities; and NASA.

UF scientists use virus to kill cancer

cells while leaving normal cells intact

Submitted
A virus that in nature
infects only rabbits
could become a cancer-
fighting tool for humans.
Myxoma virus kills can-
cerous blood-precursor
cells in human bone
marrow while sparing
normal blood stem cells,
a multidisciplinary team
at the University of
Florida College of Medi-
cine has found. The find-
ings are now online and
will appear in an upcom-
ing issue of the journal
Leukemia.
The discovery could
help make more cancer
patients eligible for bone
marrow self-transplant
therapy and reduce dis-
ease relapse rates after
transplantation.
"This is a new strategy
to remove cancer cells
before the transplant,"
said virologist Grant Mc-
Fadden, Ph.D., senior
author of the paper and
a member of the UF Ge-
netics Institute. "This is
the first time anyone has
shown in a living animal
that a virus can distin-
guish normal bone mar-
row stem cells from can-
cerous stem cells."
The major therapeutic
applications will likely
be for blood cancers

Hamilton residents

make North Florida

Community College

Dean's list

Submitted by NFCC Office of College Advancement
MADISON, FL< North Florida Community
College released the Dean's honor roll naming
students with high academic achievement for the
fall 2009 term. Hamilton students Megan
Hotchkiss, Maggie Lopez, Hunter Mead and
Tyler Moffses made the Dean's list.
Students earning a grade point average of 3.5 to
3.79 are eligible for the Dean's honor list. Stu-
dents must take at least 12 credit hours during the
semester or, as part-time students, complete a 12-
credit hour segment during the term.

such as leukemia, lym-
phoma and bone mar-
row cancers, the re-
searchers say.
In mouse studies,
myxoma virus was used
to purge cancerous cells
from leukemia patient
bone marrow samples
before they were infused
into the test animals. The
technique was effective
against an aggressive
form of leukemia that is
resistant to conventional
chemotherapy.
Microorganisms have
been used to fight cancer
before. More than 100
years ago, physicians
treating patients who
had bone and head and
neck cancers used mix-
tures of bacteria to jump-
start the immune sys-
tem, which also hap-
pened to attack the can-
cer. While the approach
helped some people it
sometimes also caused
harm.
Today, patients who
have certain types of
cancer such as acute

myelogenous leukemia
are usually treated with
using high doses of
chemotherapy. But that
can destroy the patient's
own immune system un-
less he or she receives a
transplant of blood stem
cells, which can be from
the patient's own mar-
row samples or from a
donor.
Although re-infusion
of a patient's own bone
marrow stem cells is
generally safer in the
short run, those patients
are at high risk of dying
from return of disease
because of leukemia con-
taminating the infused
bone marrow.
"That's one of the ma-
jor frustrations, so we're
looking for ways to clean
these stem cells before
putting them back into
patients," said Christo-
pher R. Cogle, M.D., an
assistant professor in the
division of hematology
and oncology and a
leader of the research
team.

after ChristmasSake
Andfor the
f7V Monthi ofJanuary

SSofa & Chair
Upholstered in any
fabric we stock! $489.00

Price includes fabric & labor.
More than 300 fabrics to select from!

Price also includes spring & frame repairs,
new padding added to entire piece.
New cushion foam is extra if needed.
NO Seconds NO Close-Outs ALL First Quality Material.
"I personally guarantee all work to suit you"

Empowering Tabernacle House of Prayer sowing a good seed for the holidays

Empowering Tabernacle House of Prayer at the Comprehensive Community Service.
-s* I

Empowering Tabernacle House of Prayer at the Comprehensive Community Service.

Pastor Jackson delivers one
of the fruit baskets
Some of the fruit baskets that
were donated to the Counsel
on Aging and the Comprehen-
sive Community Service by
the Empowering Tabernacle
House of Prayer

Submitted
Empowering Tabernacle House of Prayer Out-
reach Ministry, under the leadership of Pastor
Phillip M. and Mother Ledia S. Jackson, in 2008, pre-
sented blankets and socks to the nursing home and
fruit baskets to the Counsel on Aging. But in 2009
they wanted to do something a little different while
still exercising in the spirit of giving.
On November 24th, Empowering Tabernacle do-
nated fruit baskets to the Counsel on Aging and also
to the Comprehensive Community Service. Also,
food was prepared and the youth of Empowering
Tabernacle House of Prayer did an awesome praise
dance. All that attended agreed that it was by far the
most generous act they have witnessed in a long
time.

Lifestyle Enrichment Center

to host Health Ministry Open

House at the Jasper Library

Submitted

It is estimated that al-
most half of all Ameri-
cans are living with at
least one chronic dis-
ease. According to the
US Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention
(CDC), chronic condi-
tions such as diabetes
and heart disease are
highly prevalent and
costly, yet most are pre-
ventable. Many people
lack the resources,
knowledge, and support
to prevent illness, man-
age chronic disease, and
make informed deci-
sions with regards to
adopting a healthier
lifestyle.
Across the country,
the faith community is
working to address
health concerns through
congregational health
ministry. Health min-
istry is an opportunity
for congregations to use
their time and talents to
provide for the health
needs of members and
the community. A 2006 -
2007 survey conducted
by the National Council
of Churches USA found
that 'i'.. of responding
churches reported pro-
viding health education
programs in their com-
munities. The survey
also revealed that
churches are providing
direct health care ser-
vices and advocacy on
behalf of health-related

policy issues. Within a
congregation, a health
ministry team is made
up of members who co-
ordinate health pro-
grams and services by
identifying individual
member's heath con-
cerns and the health in-
terests of the congrega-
tion and community.
Suwannee River Area
Health Education Cen-
ter, the Columbia Coun-
ty Health Department
and Well Florida Coun-
cil are collaborating to
assist congregations in
north central Florida in
the development of
health ministries. The
Congregational Health
Ministry program will
help congregations de-
velop and sustain viable
health ministries by of-
fering training, network-
ing opportunities, and
ongoing support. Train-
ing and other activities
are free of charge and
provided in collabora-
tion with The Center for
Community Health Min-
istry at Florida Hospital.
Those interested in
hearing more about de-
veloping a health min-
istry can attend an infor-
mation session on
Thursday, January 21,
2010 from 6:00 8:00 PM
at the Jasper Library.
Light refreshments will
be served. For more in-
formation, contact Car-
olyn Alred at 352-281-
1629.

Pastor Jackson with members of Empowering Tabernacle House of Prayer and Counsel on
Aging Photos submitted

Hamilton County Chamber of Commerce 4th Annual

Chill s.. cgau-g
January 30, 2010

To take place in
the City Park at
12:00 p.m.
For more
information call
386-792-1300

Submitted
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. A chang-
ing world calls for new areas of
study, and The Florida State Uni-
versity now has two new unique
degree programs for undergradu-
ates, including a scientific com-
puting degree that is the first of its
kind in Florida and one of only
two such programs in the nation.
The Department of Scientific
Computing will offer the bache-
lor's degree in scientific comput-
ing. In addition, the departments
of Oceanography, Geological Sci-
ences and Meteorology, which
will be merging into a new De-
partment of Earth, Ocean and At-
mospheric Science, have joined
forces to offer a bachelor's degree
in environmental science. The
College of Arts and Sciences,
where the departments reside,
will begin offering the new pro-
grams in fall 2010.
"The frontiers of science change
constantly," said Joseph Travis,
dean of the College of Arts and
Sciences. "New areas of study are
always emerging, and we have to
offer our students opportunities
that match these changing fron-
tiers."
Scientific computing, not to be
confused with computer science,
is an emerging discipline that pro-
vides the tools necessary to solve
complex problems using comput-
ers, according to Provost and Ex-
ecutive Vice President for Acade-
mic Affairs Lawrence G. Abele.

"Future economic development
and public policy decisions will
rely heavily on computer simula-
tions and design," Abele said.
"Having learned computational
methods within applications envi-
ronments, graduates of the pro-
posed program will possess a skill
set and knowledge that will com-
plement those of scientists and en-
gineers."
Graduates of the program will
be prepared for employment in
industry and government labora-
tories as well as entry into gradu-
ate schools, Abele said. The pro-
posed degree program con-
tributes directly to the goals stat-
ed in the university's strategic
plan for producing students in
emerging technologies, including
the computational components of
mechanical science and manufac-
turing, natural science and tech-
nology, and computer science and
information technology.
The Department of Scientific
Computing was established in
August 2008 when it was elevated
from a school within the College
of Arts and Sciences that offered
only master's and doctoral de-
grees. The bachelor's degree is an
obvious extension of the graduate
program, according to depart-
ment chair and Francis Eppes Pro-
fessor Max Gunzburger.
The new environmental science
degree will focus on quantitative
scientific approaches to environ-
mental processes as opposed to

policy, which is the domain of an
environmental studies program in
the College of Social Sciences.
This degree will prepare students
who would like to work in the in-
terdisciplinary earth sciences,
government agencies or non-
governmental organizations,
Abele said, adding that many la-
bor market experts predict that
environmental industries will be a
major source of new jobs in the
next decade.
The new Department of Earth,
Ocean and Atmospheric Science,
which will offer the environmen-
tal science degree, is expected to
be established this spring. Travis
has appointed Geological Sciences
Professor Lynn Dudley to serve as
chair of the department.
"Climate science is heavily de-
pendent on understanding inter-
actions between the ocean and the
atmosphere, and the chemistry of
the oceans involves processes on
the land, the atmosphere and the
water," Travis said. "In this sense,
merging the oceanography, geo-
logical sciences and meteorology
departments reflects the blending
of areas of study that has been oc-
curring and will occur even faster
in the future. The new degree is
going to be very popular with stu-
dents and fits beautifully with the
mission of the new department."
No new funds are needed for
the new degree programs, Abele
said. Money in the current budget
will be reallocated to fund them.

PAGE 8A

THE JASPER NEWS, Jasper, FL

THURSDAY, JANUARY 14, 2010

THURSDAY, JANUARY 14, 2010

Boaters pour $8.5 billion

annually into Florida's economy

Submitted

A four-year study of Florida's boating
facilities and the economics of boating in
this state is just in, and the numbers are
enough to make your head swim.
For instance, Florida boaters spent
$3.384 billion on boat trips in 2007.
That's on top of the $5.15 billion they
spent for repairs, marina expenses and
other costs not associated with specific
boat trips.
To put those numbers into perspec-
tive, consider this. If a business opened
2,000 years ago and made $1,000 per
day since then, it still would have more
than seven centuries to go before it
made its first $1 billion, according to
David Harding, the Florida Fish and
Wildlife Conservation Commission's
(FWC) economist who managed the
study. Boaters spend eight and a half
times that in a single year in Florida.
The 572-page report, titled "Florida
Boating Access Facilities Inventory and
Economic Study, including a Pilot Study
for Lee County," notes that boating trips
and other spending related to vessels
support 97,000 jobs in Florida. Boaters
took 21.7 million boat trips in 2007.
The report predicts a 1.83-percent de-
cline statewide in boating demand over
the next 16 years in Florida. About half

the 63 counties in the study will see a
decrease in boating by 2025 because of
changes in demographics of the state's
population.
Harding said the study will help state
and local governments plan whether to
maintain or construct new boat ramps
or marinas and where to situate them. It
identifies features and characteristics of
boating access points for site selection
favored by boaters for freshwater and
marine access on the Atlantic and Gulf
coasts.
"The results of the study show the im-
portance of launch lanes, parking lots
and their overall condition, as well as
the area's level of development the
number of developed facilities, such as
restrooms, at the ramp." Harding said.
"Artificial reefs, seagrass and manage-
ment zoning are some of the important
characteristics in site selection for
boaters using marine access ramps."
For freshwater boating access, boaters
preferred sites with restrooms, the pres-
ence of marinas and available parking,
he said.
The study projects a price tag of $68
million to $111 million to maintain
boaters' access to water at the 2006 level.
The entire report is available as a PDF
document at MyFWC.com/About. Click
on "Economic Benefits."

By Bob Wattendorf

The new year is a good time to start
anew. This is certainly true for the
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conserva-
tion Commission (FWC) as it begins an
era of new leadership in 2010. Ken
Haddad, FWC's executive director
since 2002, retired in December after a
proud career with the agency.
When he became executive director,
the agency was in a state of flux as a
result of a constitutional amendment,
combining the old Game and Fresh
Water Fish Commission, the Marine
Fisheries Commission and parts of the
Department of Environmental Protec-
tion into the new FWC. He said he
wanted to see FWC "no less than the
premier fish and wildlife agency in the
country; a progressive and cutting-
edge resource management, science
and enforcement agency".
"I want the FWC to be visionary and
to be proactive rather than reactive to
resource issues. I want to see a fo-
cused, well-managed, and well-fund-
ed agency that is a model of efficiency
and business for other agencies in the
state and nation," Haddad said.
His diligence and vision helped
guide the FWC as it surged forward
under Haddad's leadership. Now it is
widely recognized as one of the most
progressive agencies in the country.
Customer service, continual improve-
ment and staff empowerment were
hallmarks of his tenure. He also em-
phasized stakeholder input and in-
volvement, and helped launch Get
Outdoors Florida! (www.GetOut-
doorsFlorida.org). Similarly, he was
instrumental in bringing about a sum-
mit titled "Florida's Wildlife: On the
front line of climate change", which
put the FWC in the forefront among
conservation agencies by developing a
comprehensive plan of action for Flori-
da to address climate change issues as
they relate to the state's fish and
wildlife.
As he moves on, he has left the
agency in great hands. Nick Wiley, the
former assistant executive director,
was appointed by the FWC commis-
sioners as the third executive director
of the agency, pending Florida Senate
confirmation.
Wiley is passionately dedicated to
the conservation of fish and wildlife
resources and an energetic advocate
for getting youth outdoors and pre-
serving our American heritage as an-
glers and hunters who live with and
understand nature. As a researcher
and field biologist, his work was pri-

marily with terrestrial wildlife, but his
personal interests include angling. The
fishing community will be well served
by his enthusiastic leadership.
The new executive director also
clearly understands the importance of
the human-dimensions aspects of
wildlife management. He has promot-
ed hunting summits to bring in vari-
ous stakeholders to discuss the future
of hunting and incorporated solid re-
search and marketing approaches to
meet hunters' needs. These same is-
sues have been of concern in the fish-
ing arena.
In keeping with the theme of stake-
holder input, similar efforts have been
ongoing and involve individual fresh-
water anglers and diverse Florida
businesses that derive their livelihood
from ensuring that top-quality, safe
and sustainable fishing opportunities
are available throughout Florida. A se-
ries of regional summits led to devel-
opment of an initial planning docu-
ment in 2008 titled "The Future of
Freshwater Fishing A Vision for Flori-
da's Freshwater Resources." From
there, an independent Florida Fresh-
water Fishing Coalition spun off,
which is becoming a more vocal advo-
cate for the conservation needs of our
freshwater resources.
So as we change those calendars and
start the new year, the Division of
Freshwater Fisheries Management
feels the FWC is well-positioned to
continue to ensure that Florida is the
Fishing Capital of the World. We
thank Ken Haddad for his past leader-
ship and look forward to embracing
the enthusiasm Nick Wiley has for our
fish and wildlife, engaging youth in
active nature-based recreation and en-
suring that your voice as an angler is
heard.
With that in mind, don't forget we
are looking for your ideas pertaining
to a Long-Term Management Plan for
Black Bass. To learn more, visit
MyFWC.com/Fishing and view the
Black Bass Management information
in the yellow box. You'll have the op-
portunity to complete a survey to pro-
vide the FWC with more information
about what you think is important to
having quality bass fishing in Florida.
Happy New Year, good luck and
good fishing.
Instant licenses are available at
MyFWC.com/License or by calling 888-
FISH-FLORIDA (347-4356). Report vio-
lators by calling *FWC or #FWC on your
cell phone, or 888-404-3922. Visit
http://www. myfwc.com/Fishing/ for more
Fish Busters' columns.

Squirrels are nature's acrobats

Bound-
S,,/ I., ing from
S. tree limb to
tree limb,
S" "." running
up and
BACKYARD down and
S-all around,
chattering
and squeaking, the gray squirrel plays
endlessly through the treetops.
There are many things to learn about
this energetic creature.
Three kinds of squirrels live in Flori-
da the fox squirrel, the southern fly-
ing squirrel and the eastern gray squir-
rel, which is the most common one.
Eastern gray squirrels are a part of
the rodent family, like rats and mice.
Squirrels have bushy, graybrown
tails; small, pointy ears; whiskers; and
a gray body that is 8 to 12 inches long.
Their tail adds another 6 inches.
The tail is its most familiar feature.
The mammal uses it for many things.
When the tail twitches, a squirrel may
be saying to other squirrels, "Get
away! That nut is mine!"
A squirrel's tail is very useful. It
helps with balance and serves as a
blanket in cold weather, an umbrella
on rainy days and a shield in a fight.
Gray squirrels live in trees either in
hollowed-out areas or in a nest.
Ground squirrels (chipmunks,
groundhogs and prairie dogs) live in
holes in the ground.
Squirrels are acrobats and can climb
and jump to all sorts of places. How

many times have you seen squirrels
"rob" bird feeders? People spend a lot
of time trying to make bird feeders
that squirrels cannot get into.
These animals are accidental farm-
ers. The seeds and nuts they drop or
bury sometimes sprout and become
baby plants.
Get Outdoors Florida!
Can you spot an oak tree, a favorite
source of food for squirrels?
Look under the tree to see if there
are acorns on the ground. Can you
crack one with a rock? Squirrels do it
with their sharp teeth. American Indi-
ans used acorns for food, but first they
had to remove the shells, pound the
nuts with rocks and rinse or soak the
pieces many times to remove the bitter
taste. Then they ate the mushy meal as
a good source of protein.
Acorns look like little elf heads with
hats. Can you draw little faces on
them?
Jumpin' Jiminy!
Think about the squirrel's gymnastic
abilities. Some can jump up to 6 feet!
For a foot-long squirrel, that is six
times its body length. How tall are
you? Ask a parent to measure you. If
you are 4 feet tall, and you jumped six
times your body length, you would
have to travel 24 feet, or eight yards.
Now go outside and measure that
distance.
Then see how far you can jump. Do
not be too disappointed, though.
Squirrels can do many things people
cannot.

Northern cardinal's color brightens winter

Happy New Year!
Most gardens and woods look faded
and empty in winter. We don't see as
many animals as we do in summer-
time. The cold air makes animals seek
warmth under leaves, logs or low-lying
branches. However, one animal keeps
busy and brightens nature during win-
ter. The Northern cardinal is hard to
miss flittering and flying around. He is
bright red, so he stands out when
perched on bare tree branches.
Cardinals do not migrate like other
birds. They don't seem to mind the
cold, so they stay put. That may be one
reason the cardinal is considered a
Christmas bird. Images of the bird can
be seen on ornaments, cards and many
other winter decorations.
The male cardinal is bright ruby red.
Its face and throat are black, and he has
a bright orange beak. The female car-
dinal is very different in color. She is
mostly brown, but the same ruby red
colors of the male dust her wings and
tail. Her beak is not as bright as the
male's and looks almost pink. Both
have a telltale crest or pointed tuft of
head feathers.
Northern cardinals are one of many
birds that have learned to live in cities.

They especially like parks
areas. They also live in
the country, in wooded
areas or areas with lots of
shrubs and bushes.
Northern cardinals make
their nests from twigs
and grasses and build
them low to the ground
in thickets and bushes.
When the females lay
eggs, they lay 2-5 whitish
eggs marked with
browns and grays.

and garden

During winter, look out your win-
dow and you may see many at once.
During the warmer mating season, you
may see only one female and one male
at a time.
Ask your mom or dad if you can go
outside and lay down in the grass so
you can look up into the trees. Don't be
disappointed if you don't see one right
away. You may need to ask your mom
or dad to put out some sunflower
seeds. They love them! Northern cardi-
nals also eat fruit and small insects.
Cardinals are not the only winter
bird in Florida. If you like watching
birds, ask if you can borrow some
binoculars. Binoculars are a neat way
to see birds up close. Start keeping a
journal of the birds you see. If you
write down their colors and other
things about them, you will be able to
look them up. You can also visit
MyFWC.com for some fun birding ac-
tivities and to become a junior birder
by joining the Wings Over Florida Ju-
nior Birder Program!
If you see a cardinal, it is said you
will have luck. So next time you see
one, make a wish!
J, i--.,i ,i.n-i Tyi.' FI\-C.com Florida
Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commis-
sion

Hamilton County

Brotherhood to meet

Submitted
The Hamilton County Brotherhood will hold
their quarterly meeting on Friday, January 29th at
Divonia Baptist Church at 7:00 p.m.
Please contact Cecil Rowe, Hamilton County
Brotherhood president, at 397-8359 for more infor-
mation.

Submitted
The recreational harvest of greater
amberjack from federal waters in the
Gulf of Mexico reopened on Jan. 1.
Federal waters extend beyond 9 nauti-
cal miles from shore in the Gulf off
Florida.
The National Marine Fisheries Ser-
vice closed the recreational harvest of
greater amberjack in these waters on
Oct. 24 because an established annual
recreational harvest quota for greater

amberjack in the Gulf had been met.
Gulf state waters (within 9 nautical
miles from shore) were not closed and
remain open to the recreational har-
vest of greater amberjack.
Recreational anglers may keep one
greater amberjack of at least 30 inches
fork length daily per person in Gulf
waters off Florida, and the fish must be
landed in a whole condition.
More information is available at
www.myfwc.com.